“ A SHIP IN HARBOUR IS SAFE , BUT THAT ’ S NOT WHAT SHIPS ARE BUILT FOR ”
TRAVEL » SWITZERLAND
“ A SHIP IN HARBOUR IS SAFE , BUT THAT ’ S NOT WHAT SHIPS ARE BUILT FOR ”
goes the famous quote attributed to American author and buisnessman John A . Shedd . It ’ s a reminder that growth , exploration and fulfillment lie beyond our comfort zone .
I find it fascinating that trail runners seek out discomfort in the spirit of adventure and exploring new places . On a rainy day most people are at home , snuggled on the couch , but trail runners seem to take the weather as a challenge to take their bodies out into the driving rain to test what they were made for in the first place . It ’ s an intriguing pursuit .
I still do not think of myself as a real runner though . I began running a few years ago when my wife , Angela , decided she wanted to run a half marathon . Neither of us had ever run before . We could not run 2km at the time , however the journey to the Knysna Half was a surprisingly enjoyable one . We were doing something new together and seeing results . There was a mix of self-discovery and appreciation for focusing on consistency over intensity in training which led me to want to go a little further . After a few half marathons
I decided to try something longer . I entered the three-day 112km Wildrun along the Wild Coast , and then the Rome Marathon a year later . I did not find them easy . Running is hard . But I began to appreciate some elements of running that I hadn ’ t before – a major one being an hour or two or three of total silence in my head with no-one able to get hold me while I ’ m out .
Last year after the Rome Marathon I wanted another challenge , something different and something that would get me to travel to a place I would otherwise be unlikely to go . As Saint Augustine said , “ The world is a book , and those who do not travel read only one page .” I tried to enter the Tokyo Marathon but sadly my lottery entry was not successful . In a moment of defiance after getting the news , I looked at a link a colleague of mine had sent for the Verbier Marathon in Switzerland . Late that night , after too much wine , I entered , not fully processing the fact that it had 3 000m + of elevation gain over 42km , and a field of what turned out to be very serious runners .
PUTTING IN THE PREP A few days later it was time to do some planning . I learnt that the Trail Verbier St Bernard by UTMB is one of the oldest ultra trails in Switzerland . Now part of the UTMB World Series , it offers four races ( 100M , 100K ,
Johan ( top , on the right ) grabs a selfie at the start of the race , which takes place near the Grand Saint Bernard Pass on the border of Switzerland and Italy . A horseshoe course takes runners in a wide arc from Moay to Verbier .
50K and 20K ), of which the Verbier Marathon represents the UTMB 50K category . It ’ s a real Alpine marathon that presents a pretty unique challenge for runners . The race starts in Moay above the village of Bruson , which is across the valley from Verbier and accessible via cable car from the valley below . The mountainous single track offers breathtaking views of mountain lakes and iconic peaks like the Grand Combin and Mont Blanc , the trails are winding and often quite technical , there ’ s a suspension bridge over a glacier , and a high point of 3 084m above sea level . There are three aid
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